Beach by beach: How the Carolina coast is faring as Florence plows through

In the wake of Hurricane Florence, here is a beach-by-beach look at conditions in the Carolinas.

Although some beaches are allowing residents and visitors to return as conditions there improve, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper has urged evacuees to stay put because so many highways and roads across the state are closed or endangered by flash flooding. “Even when the evacuation orders are lifted on the coasts, it isn’t safe right now for you to get there,” he said at 3 p.m. Saturday. “Plus you’ll be in the way of rescue and recovery efforts.”

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North of Oregon Inlet, the county appears to have been spared of major damage. Cape Hatteras Electric Cooperative was reporting only a handful of outages Saturday morning.

Property owners have been permitted back on to the Outer Banks (north of Oregon Inlet), and visitors will have access at 7 a.m. Sunday.

Hatteras Island remains cut off, due to overwash and damage on N.C. 12. The N.C. Department of Transportation reports N.C. 12 is blocked in spots near Manteo and Nags Head.

Hyde County

Power is out to about 55 percent of the county’s customers, and access to the Outer Banks remains closed. County officials say assessments of beach-area damage were under way Saturday.

Inland, significant flooding was reported. The NCDOT reported U.S. 264 and N.C. 45 were closed due to flooding in several spots.

Carteret County

The county was hard-hit by winds and especially by heavy rain that caused flooding. U.S. 70 and N.C. 12 are closed in many spots due to flooding. N.C. 24 also is flooded in several spots. With heavy rain still falling Saturday morning, county officials warned residents to “shelter in place.”

Atlantic Beach: Mayor Trace Cooper told reporters from several news outlets that the Oceanana Pier and the Barnacle Bar suffered significant damage from the storm surge. The island remains closed, and there is no word on other potential damage.

Pender County

About 92 percent of the county’s residents and businesses are without power. Significant flooding is being reported across the county.

The NCDOT says road closures include N.C. 210 near Surf City; N.C. 53 near Burgaw; U.S. 117 near Burgaw; and U.S. 421 near Burgaw.

Perhaps most importantly, flooding has closed Interstate 40 between mile markers 364 and 369. The NCDOT says it could be Monday morning before the road is opened again.

A 7 p.m.-to-7 a.m. countywide curfew is in place.

North Topsail Beach: No word yet on possible damage. Access to the island remains closed.

Surf City: Some dune damage was reported at the north end of the island, according to town officials. Crews entered the island at 5:30 a.m. Saturday to begin damage assessment. But the island remains closed.

Power remains out to about 87 percent of the county’s customers. Significant tree damage and flooding are reported across the county, especially in Wilmington. Residents are urged to remain at home until told otherwise.

Wrightsville Beach: The pier got through the storm without damage, officials reported Saturday morning. But Mayor Bill Blair told reporters that “significant flooding” had taken place. He said some structures suffered roof damage.

Carolina Beach: No word on damage. Crews hoped to get on the island Saturday afternoon to begin assessment.

Kure Beach: Emergency Manager David Heglar said Saturday that there was no major damage in the town. He also said there were no problems with overwash, even on the fragile south-end beaches.

Brunswick County

Power was out Saturday midday to about 99 percent of the county’s customers.

The county’s main thoroughfare, U.S. 17, was closed near Old Shallotte Road due to flooding. Minor flooding is reported elsewhere on U.S. 17. A number of secondary roads are closed due to flooding.

Bald Head Island: No report so far from this island.

Caswell Beach: No major damage reported, according to county authorities.

Southport: A number of trees were blown down, but there were no reports of structural damage, according to town officials. Many businesses remained closed Saturday.

Oak Island: No major damage was reported, although a number of trees and power lines were blown down.

Detail from display at Ocean Crest Pier on Oak Island.

Rich Sugg rsugg@kcstar.com

Holden Beach: Access to the island remains closed. Mayor Alan Holden told reporters Saturday morning that “the damage was much less than predicted.” Power is out to the entire island.

Ocean Isle Beach: A number of trees were blown down, but there was no major damage. The island’s dunes did not appear to have been breached.

Sunset Beach: Police in the town say several trees fell on structures, but there was no major flooding.

Calabash: Some flooding is reported in the town, and most businesses remained closed Saturday.

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South Carolina

Power was out Saturday to about 65 percent of the county’s residents and businesses. The major concern, county officials say, is flooding on the Waccamaw River. Record flooding is possible, they say.

North Myrtle Beach: Police report some flooded streets and downed trees, but no major damage. A 7 p.m.-to-7 a.m. curfew remains in effect.

Atlantic Beach: No reports.

Myrtle Beach: Minor damage was reported at the Barefoot Landing area. Visitors are still prohibited from getting access to coastal areas. A 7-to-7 curfew is in effect. A number of trees were blown down, along with power lines.

Surfside Beach: No major damage has been reported. A curfew, 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., is in effect.

Garden City: Garden City Realty reported in a number of tweets Saturday that the town did not suffer major damage. That includes the Garden City Pier.

Georgetown County

Murrells Inlet: No major flooding was reported. Some businesses are open Saturday.

Pawleys Island: Town officials said the island “is in great shape … minimal to no damage, including zero dune erosion.” However, access to the island remains closed.

Charleston County

Isle of Palms: Winds from the storm were mostly offshore, so there was no damage to dunes or other beach areas. However, access to the island remains closed.